NameCensus.

UK surname

Baptiste

A French occupational surname referring to a baptist or one who baptizes.

In the 1881 census there were 33 people recorded with the Baptiste surname, ranking it #28,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,131, ranked #5,205, up from #28,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waltham Forest, Brent and Luton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Baptiste is 1,192 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3327.3%.

1881 census count

33

Ranked #28,965

Modern count

1,131

2016, ranked #5,205

Peak year

2010

1,192 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Baptiste had 33 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,131 in 2016, ranked #5,205.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 37 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Baptiste surname distribution map

The map shows where the Baptiste surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Baptiste surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Baptiste over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 21 #29,550
1861 historical 14 #32,072
1881 historical 33 #28,965
1891 historical 37 #31,398
1901 historical 37 #30,009
1911 historical 35 #29,478
1997 modern 911 #5,918
1998 modern 935 #5,978
1999 modern 961 #5,900
2000 modern 947 #5,936
2001 modern 915 #6,007
2002 modern 968 #5,834
2003 modern 965 #5,762
2004 modern 964 #5,772
2005 modern 966 #5,698
2006 modern 983 #5,634
2007 modern 1,033 #5,466
2008 modern 1,063 #5,363
2009 modern 1,133 #5,195
2010 modern 1,192 #5,076
2011 modern 1,112 #5,328
2012 modern 1,093 #5,320
2013 modern 1,113 #5,317
2014 modern 1,132 #5,279
2015 modern 1,124 #5,256
2016 modern 1,131 #5,205

Geography

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Where Baptistes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waltham Forest, Brent, Luton, Westminster and Harlow. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waltham Forest 026 Waltham Forest
2 Brent 021 Brent
3 Luton 005 Luton
4 Westminster 004 Westminster
5 Harlow 010 Harlow

Forenames

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First names often paired with Baptiste

These lists show first names that appear often with the Baptiste surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Baptiste

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Baptiste, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Baptiste surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Baptiste household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Baptiste is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Baptiste is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Baptiste falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Baptiste is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Baptiste, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Baptiste

The surname Baptiste originated in France and Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the given name Baptiste, a French version of the Latin name Baptista, meaning "Baptist" or "one who baptizes." The name is associated with John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ in the Christian tradition.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Baptiste can be traced back to the 12th and 13th centuries in various regions of France and Italy. In France, it was particularly prevalent in the southern regions, such as Provence and Languedoc, where the name appears in historical records and documents from that period.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Baptiste is found in the Cartulaire de l'Église de Marseille, a cartulary (a medieval manuscript containing transcripts of charters and other legal documents) from the 12th century, which mentions a certain Guillaume Baptiste as a witness to a land transaction.

In Italy, the surname Baptiste was initially more common in the northern regions, such as Piedmont and Lombardy. One notable early bearer of the name was Battista Sforza, an Italian noblewoman who lived from 1446 to 1472 and was the daughter of Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan.

During the Renaissance period, the surname Baptiste became associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. One such individual was Jean Baptiste du Hamel (1624-1706), a French philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the study of physics and natural philosophy.

Another prominent figure with the surname Baptiste was Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687), an Italian-born French composer and violinist who served as the court composer for Louis XIV and is considered one of the founders of French opera.

In the 18th century, the name Baptiste was borne by Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert (1717-1783), a French mathematician, philosopher, and encyclopedist who co-edited the influential Encyclopédie alongside Denis Diderot.

During the 19th century, one notable bearer of the surname was Jules Baptiste Trayer (1824-1892), a French painter and illustrator known for his depictions of historical and military scenes.

Throughout its history, the surname Baptiste has also been associated with various place names and localities, such as Baptiste Creek in Texas, USA, and Île Baptiste, an island in the Canadian province of Quebec.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Baptiste families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Baptiste surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Channel Islands leads with 14 Baptistes recorded in 1881 and an index of 103.09x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 14 103.09x
Kent 11 7.03x
Hampshire 5 5.32x
Berkshire 4 11.62x
Middlesex 4 0.87x
Lancashire 3 0.55x
Warwickshire 2 1.73x
Yorkshire 2 0.44x
Lanarkshire 1 0.67x
Surrey 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Peter Port in Channel Islands leads with 10 Baptistes recorded in 1881 and an index of 398.41x.

Place Total Index
St Peter Port 10 398.41x
Deptford St Paul 9 74.63x
Portsea 4 21.73x
Reading St Giles 3 88.76x
Birmingham 2 5.19x
Hackney London 2 7.78x
Ilkley 2 270.27x
St Saviour 2 266.67x
Glasgow 1 3.80x
Lambeth 1 2.50x
Lydd 1 303.03x
Mile End Old Town London 1 10.25x
Milton In Milton 1 151.52x
Paddington London 1 5.93x
Southampton All Sts 1 62.11x
St Andrew 1 555.56x
St Helier 1 22.62x
Toxteth Park 1 5.43x
Walton On Hill 1 33.90x
West Derby 1 6.29x
Windsor Castle 1 3333.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Baptiste surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Alice 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Charlotte 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Margarete 1
Matilda 1
Mattilda 1
Rachel 1
Rosena 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Threasea 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Baptiste surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 4
Charles 2
Jean 2
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Boachard 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Josiah 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Baptiste households.

FAQ

Baptiste surname: questions and answers

How common was the Baptiste surname in 1881?

In 1881, 33 people were recorded with the Baptiste surname. That placed it at #28,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Baptiste surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,131 in 2016. That gives Baptiste a modern rank of #5,205.

What does the Baptiste surname mean?

A French occupational surname referring to a baptist or one who baptizes.

What does the Baptiste map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Baptiste bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.